Automatic sweeping machine for runways, streets, roads and the like



Nov. 7, 1961 H. BRAUN AUTOMATIC swEEPING MACHINE FOR RUNWAYS, STREETS,ROADS AND THE LIKE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 27, 1959 Nov. 7, 1961 H.BRAUN 3,007,191

AUTOMATIC SWEEPING MACHINE FOR RUNWAYS, STREETS, ROADS AND THE LIKEFiled May 27, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 waff/vra? Nov. 7, 1961 H. BRAUN3,007,191

AUTOMATIC swEEPTNG MACHINE FOR RUNwAYs. STREETS, ROADS AND THE LIKEFiled May 27, 1959 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 /NvENro/P /e/-mann ,Bf-aun Filed May27, i959, Ser. No. 816,289 13 Claims. (Cl. IS-i-) The present inventionrelates to automatic sweeping machines for runways, streets, roads, andthe like of the general type known as vacuum road sweepers. Machines ofthis type comprise a rotary broom having associated therewith a suctionhood.

More specifically, the present invention concerns a device for use inconnection with vacuum sweepers of the above mentioned type and has asits primary object to provide an automatic pickup device for picking upcoarse particles such as pebbles, stones, and similar refuse particles.

lt is also an object of this invention to provide an automatic coarseparticle pick-up Vdevice of the type set forth in the precedingparagraph, which may selectively be lifted into ineffective position sothat it will not handicap the vacuum sweeper if it should be used forcertain purposes.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an automatic coarseparticle pick-up device of the type set forth in the preceding paragraphwhich may selectively be adjusted relative to the ground for determiningthe minimum size of coarse particles to be picked up.

Still` another object of this invention consists in the porvision of acoarse particle pick-up device as set forth in the preceding paragraphswhich includes a suction hood adjustable relative to the ground fromwhich the particles are to be picked up.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention Will appear moreclearly from the following specification in connection with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l illustrates a side view of a Vacuum sweeper with a coarseparticle pick-up device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a section taken along the line II-II of the automatic coarsepick-up device shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a top View of the coarse particle pick-up device of FIGS. land 2.

FIG. 4 illustrates a side view ofthe suction pipe with mouthpiece shownin FIG. 2, but on a somewhat larger scale than that of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 illustrates the suction pipe of FIG. 4 as seen in the directionof the arrow G of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a top view of the suction pipe shown in FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a section along the line VII-VII of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a section through a guiding bar forming part of the pick-updevice of the invention, said section being taken along the lineVIII-VIII of PIG. 3.

FIG. 9 diagrammatically illustrates a lifting mechanisr'n for liftingthe frame structure for the pick-up device.

General arrangement The coarse particle pick-up device according to thepresent invention is arranged below and connected to the chassis of avacuum sweeper and is characterized primarily by sweeper or collectorarms or the like, which are arranged at an angle with regard to eachother and have their front ends directed in the driving direction of thevehicle. The front ends of said arms are spaced from each other by adistance preferably equalling the width of the road, runway, or the liketo be swept,

states @arent rice whereas 'the rear ends of said arms confine arelatively narrow passage located below a coarse particle suctionnozzle. The said sweeper and collector arms sweep over the width of thesurface to be swept while the vehicle moves forward on said surface andcollect all coarse particles from a cerain minimum size upwards betweensaid arms. These coarse particles than slide along said arms to saidcoarse particle suction nozzle where they are picked up and conveyed toa collecting container. The coarse particle pick-up device according tothe present invention is preferably arranged ahead of the customaryrotary sweper broom generally forming part of vacuum sweepers of theabove mentioned type. In further development of the present invention,the coarse particle pick-up device is adjustable with regard to thesurface to be swept so that the minimum size of the coarse particles tobe picked up may be varied.

According to a further feature of the invention, the coarse particlesuction nozzle or the suction pipe with the nozzle is adjustablerelative to the ground to be swept.

Structural arrangement Referring now to the drawings in detail, and FIG.l thereof in particular, this gure shows a vacuum sweeping machineprovided with a coarse particle pick-up device according to the presentinvention. The said sweeping machine comprises, as is customary, achassis l. having mounted thereon a waste and refuse collectingcontainer 2 and an exhauster compartment for creating a vacuum whichwill bring about al suction effect for conveying the swept-up particlesinto the collecting container 2. The sweeping machine is, in a mannerknown per se, provided with a rotary broom mounted underneath a hoodwhich latter surrounds the major portion of said rotary broom 6 and hasconnected thereto conduit means 7 which communicate through hose 16 withthe pressure side of a blower 3 to convey air under pressure from saidblower through the mouth portion 7 of said conduit means to the surfaceto be swept so as to blow the particles to be swept up toward the rotarybroom 6. The hood 4 furthermore has connected thereto suction conduitmeans which communicate with the eXhauSter compartment and drawparticles swept up by broom 6 into the mouth portion 8- of said conduitmeans and convey the same to said collecting container.

The hood 4 covering toE a major extent the rotary broom 6 extendsforwardly and also forms a hood for the coarse particle pick-upy deviceaccording to the present invention generally designated with thereference numeral 50. The pick-up device 50' is more cleanly shown inFIGS. 2 and 3 and consists primarily of two sweeping and collecting arms23, 23a which are Xedly connected to the supporting frame 22 of thepick-upv device 50. The said arms 23, 23a form an angle with each otheropen in the for-Y ward driving direction of the vehicle carrying thepick up device 50 and may consist of bars, boards, angle irons or thelike. For reasons of construction, arm 23 is considerably shorter thanarm 23a, but it is, of course, to be understood that if desired arm 23amay be shorter than arm 23 or both arms may have the same length. Thelower edges of the sweeping and collecting arms 23, 23a are preferablyprovided with rubber strips 24 or the like (see FIG. 8) which areconnected to said arms by clamping lrails 26 provided with slots 26athrough which extend clamping bolts 2.5. It will thus be appreciatedthat by loosening the bolts 25, the rubber strips 24 may be adjustedrelative to the groundV within the limits of the length of the slots26a.

The supporting frame 22 and thereby the arms 23, 23a connected theretomay be adjusted relative to the ground by means of the adjustablesupporting wheels or casters 30 respectively supported by swivelbearings 31. Each of the swivel bearings 31 is, by means of gussetplates or connection pla-tes 51 or the like, connected to a U-prollle 52which is adjustably guided between two supporting plates 32 and may beheld in its respective desired position by means of clamping bolts 33extending th-rough slots 33a in said supporting plates. The two wheels36 adapted to swivel, which are arranged ahead of the sweeping andcollecting arms 23, 23a which may also be called guiding arms, areprovided with protective or shielding means 34 in the form of deilectingplates or a dellecting hood for dellecting objects directly in front ofthe wheels so that the latter will not pass thereover and thereby liftthe pick-up device in an undesired manner. The rear ends of the arms 23,23a are slightly spaced from each other as will be evident from FIG. 3so as to form a relatively narrow passage. Above this passage anddirectly at said ends there is arranged a suction nozzle generallydesignated with the reference numeral 9 for picking up the coarseparticles. The width of the said relatively narrow channel correspondssubstantially to the width of the suction passage at the mouth of saidsuction nozzle. The suction nozzle 9 is connected to a hose 16 which inits turn leads to the refuse collecting container 2.

The back side of the suction nozzle mouth 9a (see FIG. 4) is providedwith an inclined pan or ramp 12 which may be of rubber or other suitablematerial for preventing larger or heavier objects or particles fromescaping toward the rear. This pan or ramp will also exert a certainagitation. The pan or ramp 12 is connected to the mouthpiece 9a by aclamping rail 13 and a bolt 14. If desired, the pan or ramp may havelongitudinal slots therein so as to allow an adjustment of the pan orramp relative to the mouthpiece 9a toward or away from the ground. Inorder to prevent larger or heavier objects or particles from escapingsideways, two basket-like or gratelike members 11 are connected tolateral portions of the mouthpiece 9a in any convenient manner.

The suction nozzle or suction pipe 9 is tiltably arranged in such a waythat it can be tilted forwardly in driving direction of the vehicle orrearwardly and can be arrested in its respective position. To this end,the suction pipe 9 is held by a clamping ring 20 which is provided witha slot 53 formed by two jaws 20a adapted to be clamped together byclamping bolts 21. The clamping ring furthermore comprises an extension20h extending between two lgusset plates or llsh plates 54 hinged orlinked to said extension 2Gb by means of a bolt 17. The said plates 54`are xedly connected to the supporting frame 22. The plates 54 arefurthermore provided with radially arranged aligned slots 18 throughwhich extends a clamping bolt 19. It will thus be obvious that byloosening clamping bolt 19, the suction pipe 9 can be tilted about boltor pivot 17 over an `arc corresponding to the longitudinal extension ofthe slots 18. After the suction pipe 9 has been adjusted tothe desiredextent, the clamping bolt 19 is tightened again. The suction pipe 9 mayalso be turned toward the left or the right whenever desired, To thisend, it is merely necessary to loosen the clamping screws 21 and thenmanually to turn the pipe 9 in the desired direction whereupon the bolts21 are tightened again.

The mouthpiece 9a of the suction pipe is preferably with the exceptionof the rear portion where the ramp 12 is arranged designed in conformitywith aerodynamic principles, in other words the cross section isdrop-shaped as indicated at 10.

As will be evident from the above, when the sweeping machine accordingto the present invention passes over runways, roads or the like to beswept, the coarse particles or objects having a vertical extensionhigher than the spacing of the sweeping arms 2'3, 23a from the groundwill be caught by said sweeping arms and will be guided therealong tothe relatively small passage between the rear ends of said arms, wherethe said particles will be drawn in by the suction in the suction mouth9a and will from here be conveyed through suction pipe 9 and hose 16 tothe refuse collecting container. Any particles which are directly infront of the front wheels or casters 30 will be deflected by theprotective hoods 34- so that the said front wheels or casters willalways remain in contact with the ground and thereby maintain the arms23, 23a in the proper desired distance from the ground.

In or-:ler to prevent coarse particles from being delected by arms 23and 23a outwardly so that they may leave the pick-up device and rolloutwardly to the sides of the pick-up device, there are in furtherdevelopment of the invention provided a plurality of baille or brakingplates 27 which are connected to the frame 22 by connecting means such`as bars 29. While FIGS. 2 and 3 show only two of such baille or brakingplates, it is, of course, to be understood that any desired number ofsuch plates may be provided. Also the angle of these plates may bevaried in conformity with the respective conditions desired. The loweredges of the baille plates 27 are preferably provided with rubber strips28.

In order to be able to vary the spacing of the collecting arms 23, 23afrom the ground and thereby to vary the coarseness of the particles tobe picked up by the coarse particle pick-up device of the invention, theframe carrying the pick-up device with the various elements describedabove may selectively be lifted or lowered to the desired height. Thislifting mechanism is diagrammatically shown in FIG. 9. The frame 22 isprovided with four bearings .39 as will be evident yfrom FIGS. 3 and 9.The chassis of the vehicle is provided with four bearings 41 (two ofsaid bearings only being shown in FIG. 9'). Each bearing 39 has hingedthereto one end of a link 40 the `adjacent end of which is hinged to theadjacent bearing 4l. It will thus be evident that the frame of -thepick-up device carrying the various members described above is pivotallysuspended on the chassis. In order to assure a precise and uniformlifting and lowering of the pick-up device, each two adjacent links 40are connected to an equalizing link system 42. Arranged above the rearlinks lil on each side of the chassis is an intermediate lever 44 whichis pivotally supported by a bearing 45 on said chassis. The intermediatelevers 44 and adjacent links 49 are interconnected by a lifting rope,cable or the like 4.3. One of the intermediate levers 44 is connected toa lifting cylinder 46 which is pivotally suspended on a bearing 47 onthe chassis. The two intermediate levers 44 on each side of the chassisare rigidly interconnected in any convenient manner for instance by ashaft 45a so that they will uniformly move in connection with themovement ofthe lifting cylinder piston system 46. `It will thus beevident from the above that when the lifting cylinder piston system 46carries out an upward or downward movement, all of the links 40 willcarry out a uniform tilting movement so as to lower or lift the pick-updevice 50 accordingly with regard to the ground. The lifting cylinder 46may be an ordinary lluid cylinder piston system and may be actuated byoil within the oil circuit of the Vehicle.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by nomeans, limited to the particular construction shown in the drawings butalso comprises any modifications within the scope of the appendedclaims.

What I claim is:

1. In a road sweeping machine having a chassis and a rotary sweepingbroom mounted below said chassis on a transverse axis and also includinga suction hood extending partly around said broom from above forcreating a suction effect adjacent thereto: elongated guiding membersarranged below said chassis in substantially parallel spaced relationwith the road and ahead of said broom in the Working direction of saidsweeping machine, said guiding members forming with each other an anglehaving its legs spreading apart toward the front of the sweeping machinewhile the rear ends of said guiding members confine with each other apassage, a collecting container adapted `for being evacuated supportedby said chassis connected with said suction hood rfor collecting wasteand refuse picked up by said sweeping machine, and suction conduit meanshaving one end connected to said container and its other end positionedabove and near said passage for receiving coarse particles guided tosaid passage by said guiding members as the sweeping machine movesforwardly and conveying said coarse particles to said collectingcontainer.

2. ln a road sweeping machine having a chassis and la rotary sweepingbroom mounted below said chassis on a transverse axis and also including`a suction hood extending partly around said bnoom from above forcreating a suction effect adjacent thereto: elongated guiding membersarranged below said chassis in substantially parallel spaced relationwith the road and ahead of said broom in the working direction iof saidsweeping machine, said guiding members forming with each oth-er `anangle having its legs spreading apart toward the front of the sweepingmachine while the rear ends of said guiding members confine with eachother a passage, `a collecting container adapted for being evacuatedsupported by said chassis connected with said suction hood forcollecting waste and refuse picked up by said sweeping machine, suctionconduit means having one end connected to said container and its otherend positioned above and near said passage for receiving coarseparticles guided to said passage by said guiding members as the sweepingmachine moves forwardly and conveying said coarse particles to saidcollecting container, supporting trarne means supporting said guidingmembers, and means operatively connected to said frame means andsupported by said chassis yfor selectively adjusting the distancebetween said guiding members and the surface to be swept by said broomwhile maintaining the guide members parallel with said surface wherebysaid guiding members may be adjusted for guiding coarse particles ofdifferent sizes toward said suction conduit means.

3. lIn a road sweeping machine having a chassis and a rotary sweepingbroom mounted below said chassis on a transverse axis and also includinga suction hood extending partly around said broom from above forcreating a suction effect adjacent thereto: elongated guiding membersarranged below said chassis in substantially parallel spaced relationwith the road and ahead of said broom in the working direction of saidsweeping machine, said guiding membens forming with each other an anglehaving its legs spreading apart toward the front of the sweeping machinewhile the rear ends of said guiding members confine with each other -apassage, the front ends of said guiding members being spaced from eachother by a distance substantially equalling the width of the surface tobe swept, a collecting container adapted for being evacuated supportedby said chassis connected with said suction hood for collecting wasteand refuse picked up by said sweeping machine, and suction conduit meanshaving one end connected to said container and i-ts other end positionedabove and near said passage for receiving coarse particles guided tosaid passage by said guiding members as the sweeping machine movesforwardly and conveying said coarse particles to said collectingcontainer.

4. In a road sweeping machine having a chassis and a rotary sweepingbroom mounted below said chassis on a transverse axis and also includinga suction hood extending partly around said broom from above forcreating a suction effect adjacent thereto: a frame, a parallelogramlink system pivotally connecting said frame to said chassis, a pair ofelongated guiding members connected to said frame and extendingdownwardly therefrom to positions near the ground to be swept andparallel thereto, said guiding members forming with each other an anglehaving its legs spreading apart toward the front of the sweeping machinewhile the rear ends of said guiding members coniine with each other arelatively narrow passage, a collecting container adapted for beingevacuated supported by said chassis connected with said suction hood forcollecting waste and refuse material, a suction pipe having one endconnected to said container and having a suction mouth at its other end,said pipe being supported by said frame and having said suction moutharranged above and near said passage, and uid operable means operable toactuate said link system for selectively raising or lowering said frameand thereby said guiding members with regard to the ground to be swept.

5. in a road sweeping machine having a chassis and a rotary sweepingbroom mounted below said chassis on a transverse axis and also includinga suction hood extending partly around said broom from above `forcreating a suction effect adjacent thereto: elongated guiding membersarranged below said chassis in substantially parallel spa-ced relationwith the road and ahead of said broom in the working direction of saidsweeping machine, said guiding members forming with each other an anglehaving its legs spreading apart toward the front of the sweeping machinewhile the rear ends of said guiding members conne with each other apassage, a collecting container adapted for being evacuated supported bysaid chass-is connected with said suction hood for collecting waste andrefuse picked up by said sweeping machine, suction conduit means havingone end connected to said container and its other end positioned aboveand near said passage for receiving coarse particles guided to saidpassage by said guiding members as the sweeping machine moves forwardlyand conveying said coarse particles to said collecting container, saidsuction conduit means being provided at its said other end with asuction head equipped wtih downwardly extending conning means extendingat the rear and side portions of said suction head to prevent particlesconveyed to said passage below said suction head from escaping to therear and to the sides.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5, in which the conning means atthe rear of said suction head is adjustable relative to said suctionpipe means.

7. An arrangement according to claim 5, in which the conning means atthe rear of said suction head consists of a plate of rubber materialinclined in the forward driving direction of said vehicle.

8. An arrangement according to claim 5, in which the confining meansarranged laterally of said suction head consists of grate-like members.

9. In a road sweeping machine having a chassis and a -rotary sweepingbroom mounted below said chassis on a transverse axis land alsoincluding a suction hood extending partly around said broom from abovefor creating a suction eiect adjacent thereto: a frame adjustablyconnected to said chassis and adapted to be moved in parallelism withitself relative to said chassis toward and away from the ground to beswept, a plurality of casters supported by said frame and adjustablelrelative thereto, a pair of elongated guiding bars xedly connected tosaid frame and extending in downward direction therefrom and parallelwith the ground, said guiding bars forming an angle with each otherhaving its legs spread apart toward the `front of the sweeping machinewhile the rear ends of said guiding bars conne with each other apassage, an evacuated container on said chassis, suction pipe meanssupported by said frame and having its lower end arranged above saidpassage, and means connecting the upper end of said pipe means to saidcontainer.

10. An arrangement according to claim 9, in which said pipe means istiltably adjustably connected to said frame.

11. An arrangement according to claim 9, in which the lower ends of saidguiding bars have rubber strips connected thereto.

12. In a road sweeping machine having a chassis and a rotary sweepingbroom mounted below said chassis on a transverse axis and also includinga suction hood extending partly around said broom from above forcreating a suction eect adjacent thereto: elongated guiding membersarranged below said chassis in substantially parallel spaced relationwith the road and ahead of said broom in the working direction of saidsweeping machine, said guiding members forming with each other an anglehaving its legs spreading apart toward the front of the sweeping machineWhile the rear ends of said guiding members corinne with each other `apassage, a colleeting container adapted for being evacuated supported bysaid chassis connected with said suction hood for collecting waste andrefuse picked up by said sweeping machine, suction conduit means havingone end connected to said container and its other end positioned aboveand near said passage for receiving coarse particles guided to saidpassage by said guiding members as the sweeping machine moves forwardlyand conveying said coarse particles to said collecting container,supporting frame means supporting said guiding members, meansoperatively connected to said frame means and supported by said chassisfor selectively adjusting the distance between said guiding members andthe surface to be swept by said broom while maintaining said membersparallel to the ground whereby said guiding members may be adjusted forguiding coarse particles of `different sizes toward said suction conduitmeans, and bale plate means supported by said supporting frame means andextending downwardly into the area between said guiding members fordefleeting coarse particles ricocheted by said guiding members back tothe latter.

13. In combination in a pick-up device for coarse particles for use inconnection with a sweeping truck including suction means for roads,runways, streets and similar surfaces to be swept: frame means includingmeans for connection to said truck, a rotary sweeping broom supported bysaid frame means, guiding members xedly connected to said frame meansand arranged ahead of said broom in working direction of said pick-updevice, said guiding members forming with each other an angle having itslegs spreading apart toward the front of said pick-up device while therear ends of said guiding members confine with each other a passage,said members being parallel with and close to the ground being swept,and pipe means having one end connected with said suction means of saidsweeping truck, the other end of said pipe means being arranged aboveand near said passage -for receiving coarse particles guided to saidpassage by said guiding members and conveying said coarse particles tosaid suction means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,143,052 Kerr June 15, 1915 2,876,484 Wells Mar. 10, 1959 FOREIGNPATENTS 628,869 France Oct. 3l, 1927 794,491 Great Britain May 7, 1958

